Immigration staff will now only be able to share data for people who have committed a serious crime

The move comes in the wake of the Windrush scandal, which exposed major failings in the Home Office and sparked a national debate about the treatment of both migrants and immigrants in this country.

The Guardian reported how Margot James, a minister in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announced the rethink during a parliamentary debate on data protection.

She said the Government would be suspending “with immediate effect” the memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Under MOU, NHS Digital shared 3,000 NHS patients’ details with the Home Office last year so they could check their immigration status.

James said immigration staff will now only be able to use the mechanism for people who have committed a serious crime - and are therefore being considered for deportation.

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NHS staff reported that some patients were too frightened to attend appointments.

The committee heard how in one case, a migrant domestic worker died after not seeking treatment for a domestic cough.

Labour MP Paul Williams welcomed “this huge U-turn”, saying: “NHS information should only be shared in the event of a conviction or an investigation for a serious crime, not to create a hostile environment where people are afraid to go to their GPs for fear information might be reported to the Department for Work and Pensions for benefit sanctions.”

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